Ravel stop for knitted fabrics and method of making the same



Oct. 6, 1942. o. F. SMETANA 2,297,805

RAVEL STOP FOR KNITTED FABRICS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 8, 1941.

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Patented Oct. 6,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOP FOR KNITTED FABRICS AND METHOD MAKING THE SAME Otto F. Smetana, Concord, N. c. Application my a, 1941, Serial No. 401.438

' '12 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates to ravel stops for knitted fabrics such as stockings and the like, and also to the methods for producing such stops.

Various means have heretofore been proposed to prevent raveling in knitted fabrics, particularly hosiery, including courses in which loops of alternate wales were laterally transferred and doubled with loops of the intervening wales as instanced in the formation of transverse picot rows or courses. While such barriers dostop raveling in one direction, they are not positive in vide a ravel stop which will operate as a barrier to prevent runs from continuing through it irrespective of the side of the barrier in which the runs may originate. This objective I attain as hereinafter more fully disclosed byproducin'g transversely of the fabric, during the knitting of the stocking blank, one or more rows of picot stitches, and afterwards forming a line of elastic stitches crosswise of the fabric from a separate thread or threads in such manner as to effectively lock the picot stitches.

' In the drawing, Fig. 1 shows, in side elevation, a stocking with a ravel stop between its toe and instep, conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a fragment of the stocking fabric within the area of the dotted rectangle II in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 before the application of the lock stitching. I

the line shading. To form the ravel stop shown in Fig. 2, I produce from the knitting thread or threads at or near the juncture between the instep and toe during the knitting of the blank for the stocking, two closely adjacent transverse rows 3, 4 of laterally transferred picot stitches (see Fig. 3), with-incidental formation of transverse lines of holes or interstices 3a, la, the loop transferring being effected so that said holes or interstices 3a, 4a of the two rows are disaligned or staggered relative to each other and with respect to the direction of the wales of the fabric.

I thereupon fold the blank along a line AA in Fig. 3 mediallybetween the picot rows 3, 4, and

at the same time bring corresponding holes or interstices la, la of said rows into superimposition or alignment. With this accomplished, I run the fabric on to the points P of an ordinary looping machine such as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4 by impaling the corresponding pairs 3a, 4a of the picot holes or interstices upon alternate points; the intermediate doubled loops of the picot rows being at the same time impaled upon the intervening points of said machine. The looping machine may be of a type having a needle N and the needle thread are passed through the registering openings 3a, on the alternate points as well as through the registering intervening doubled loops of the said rows on the intervenin points of the machine with resultant formation I of a crosswise line of stitches in which the needle Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing how the The stocking shown in Fig. l'is intended to represent one formed from a flat plain-knitted blank and seamed down the back as is common in the production of full fashioned hosiery, the leg I being suitably shaped, and the foot 2 likewise fashioned in any approved manner and the latter at the same time reinforced as indicated by thread loops '5 are connected at one face of the fabric as shown in Fig. 2 by looper thread loops.

Ii. As a consequence of this procedure it will be evident that an effective chain stitch barrier is formed which will operate to stop runs in the fabric irrespective of thesideof origin of such runs,'while allowing free expansion and contraction of the fabric when the stocking is worn. Preferably, the barrier is made to extend only across the top of the stocking toe as shown in .Fig. l, i. e., betweenthe lines which form the the juncture of the welt top I and the leg portion departing from the spirit of my invention, and

that, if desired,'other picot rows may be run in between the rows 8 and Q. v

The alternative embodiment ofmy invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 involves the use of but a single row 3:: of picot stitches, and in forming the ravel stop the fabric is applied to the looping machine with the doubled loop pairs of the picot row impaled on the points P oi. said machine as instanced in Fig. 6. After the operation of the looping machine upon the impaled fabric the ravel stop will appear as shown in Fig. 5 with the loops is; of, the needle thread penetrating the doubled loops of the picot from one side of the.

fabric, and with loops is: the looper threadconnecting said needle thread loops at the opposite side of the fabric. I

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim:

1. A ravel stop for knitted fabrics comprising a row of picot stitches which are formed from the thread used in the knitting; and a chain of stitches formed from p a separate thread or threads along the picot row with the stitches of said chains respectively locking the stitches of the picot.

6. In a knitted stocking, a ravel stop extending transversely of the same, said stop comprisingat least two contiguous transverse rows of picot stitches and beingformed from the thread used in the knitting; and interconnected elastic locking stitches formed from a separate thread or threads, said locking stitches respectively passing through crosswise aligned pairs of holes or interstices of the two picot courses.

3. A ravelstop according to claim 6, in which the holes or interstices of the two picot rows are oflset or'staggered somewhat relative to each other'in the direction of the fabric wales.

8. A ravel stop according Wclaim 6, which is located crosswise of the toe portion of the stocking.

9. The method of producing a ravel stop in knitted fabrics which comprises forming, during the knitting of the .fabric from a thread or threads at least two contiguous transverse rows of laterally-transferred picot stitches; and form ing a line oflnterconnecting lock stitches from a separate thread or threads, with the loci: stitches of said line passing respectively through crosswise aligned pairs of holes or interstices of the two picot rows.

10. The method of producing a ravel stop in knitted fabrics which comprises i'orming, during the knitting of the fabric froma thread or threads at least two contiguous transverse rows of laterally-transferred picot stitches, with the holes or interstices of said rows oflset or staggered relative to each otherin the direction of the fabric wales; and forming a line of inter-' connecting lock stitches from a separate thread or threads with the lock stitches passing respectively through crosswise aligned pairs of holes 2. A ravel stop for knitted fabrics comprising at least two contiguous transverse rows ofpicot stitches which are formed from the thread used in the knitting; and interconnected lock stitches formed from a separate thread or threads each such lock stitch passing through a crosswise aligned pair of aligned holes or interstices of the two rows of picot stitches.

. 3. A ravel stop for knitted fabrics according to claim 2, wherein the holes or interstices of the two picot rows are oiiset or staggered somewhat relative to each other in the direction of the tively through crosswise aligned pairs of holes or interstices of the two picot rows.

5. A ravelv stop, for knitted fabrics according toclaim 4, in which the holes or interstices of the two picot rows are oilset or staggered somewhat relative to each other in the direction of the tabric wales.

or interstices of the two picot rows.

11. The method of producing a ravel stop in knitted fabrics which comprises forming, durthreads, a transverse row of laterally-transferred picot stitches; impaling the stitches of the picot row upon a series.of points: and forming a line i of interconnected lock stitches from a separate thread or threads along the picot row and causing said lock stitches interlock respectively with the picot stitches.

12. The method of producing a ravel stop in knitted fabrics which comprises forming, during the knitting of the fabric from a thread or threads, at least two contiguous transverse rows of laterally-transferred picot stitches; folding the fabric along a transverse line medially between the two picot rows to bring corresponding pairs of stitches of the picot rows into superimposition; and then forming a line of interconnecting stitches from a separate thread or threads along the picot row and causing the stitches ofsuch line to interlock respectively with corresponding pairs of the superposed picot stitches. 

